1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus provided with a touch panel device and a method of controlling display of a display device of the same information processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
A touch panel device has widely been used in combination with a mouse as an input device of a personal computer. In many cases, a touch panel device has a structure that a transparent touch panel is laid over the display screen of a liquid crystal display device and thereby a depressing position signal indicating the depressing position can be output to a personal computer when a user depresses various positions on the touch panel with fingers.
Here, images of manipulating buttons are displayed through a personal computer on the display screen of display device. A user can depress the position of the particular manipulating button on the touch panel with a finger. As a result, the depressing position signal indicating the depressing position is output from the touch panel device. Therefore, the personal computer recognizes with this signal that the particular manipulating button is depressed with a finger and executes the predetermined process corresponding to the manipulated button.
The depressing position of the touch panel device can be detected by propagating surface elastic wave, for example, to the touch panel and then detecting change of the surface elastic wave when the touch panel is depressed. Moreover, a certain kind of touch panel device outputs a depressing pressure signal indicating a depressing pressure by detecting a depressing force of the touch panel, but in general, the touch panel which detects only the depressing position is widely used as an input device of the personal computer.
When a mouse is used as an input device, not only designation of the position on the display screen but also various kinds of manipulation such as click or double-click of right and left buttons of mouse or drag and drop can be realized. Therefore, various processes can be switched for execution in the personal computer side depending on the respective manipulation.
Namely, when the left button is clicked (step S101) as shown in FIG. 8, a personal computer selects and executes any one of the process A (step S103) and process B (step S104) depending on the decision that the left button is double-clicked or not (step S102). As the process A, an application program (or application), for example, is executed, while as the process B, high-light display of double-clicked icon image(or icon), for example, is executed.
Moreover, in the case of the manipulation (step S105) in which the mouse is only slid as shown in FIG. 9, a personal computer selects and executes any one of the process C (step S107) and the process D (step S108) depending on the decision that the drag manipulation (the mouse is moved while the mouse button is being depressed) is executed or not (step S106). As the process C, a personal computer moves, for example, the icon and mouse cursor simultaneously, while as the process D, only a personal computer moves only the mouse cursor.
As explained above, when a mouse is used, diversified manipulations can be enabled but when a touch panel is used, only selection of process depending on the depressing position on the touch panel can be realized on the basis of the depressing position signal sent from the touch panel device. In other words, only simple manipulation, such as selection of necessary process by displaying a process menu on the display screen, has been permitted.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to eliminate such disadvantages of the related art and provide an information processing apparatus which has realized various manipulations of the touch panel and a method of controlling the display of a display device of the same information processing apparatus.
The present invention discloses an information processing apparatus comprising a display device for displaying images in relation to the predetermined processes among a plurality of processes, a touch panel device for outputting both depressing position signal and depressing pressure signal to control the display of the display device depending on an output from the touch panel device, further comprising a comparing means for comparing a depressing force indicated by the depressing signal with a reference pressure, a monitoring means for judging change of depressing position by monitoring the depressing position signal, a processing means for processing the control of display of the display device depending on touch panel device output, comparing means output and monitoring means output and a control means for controlling the display device depending on touch panel means output and processing means output to variously alter the display images of the display device by the touch manipulation to the touch panel device.
Moreover, the present invention discloses an information processing apparatus comprising a display device for displaying images in relation to the predetermined process among a plurality of processes and a touch panel device for outputting both depressing position signal and depressing pressure signal to control the display of the display device depending on an output of the touch panel device, further comprising a comparing means for comparing a depressing pressure indicated by a depressing pressure signal with the reference pressure, a monitoring means for judging change of depressing position by monitoring a pressing position signal, a processing means for controlling control of luminance of image displayed on the display device depending on the comparing means output and monitoring means output and a display control means for controlling the display device depending on the touch panel means output and processing means output to increase the luminance of images corresponding to the depressing position when the touch panel device is depressed with a weak pressure.
Moreover, the present invention discloses an information processing apparatus comprising a display device for displaying images in relation to the predetermined process among a plurality of processes and a touch panel device for outputting both depressing position signal and depressing pressure signal to control the display of the display device depending on output of the touch panel device, further comprising a comparing means for comparing a depressing pressure indicated by a depressing pressure signal with the reference pressure, a monitoring means for judging change of depressing position by monitoring a depressing position signal, a processing means for processing control of a varying means having control knob displayed on the display device depending on touch panel device output, comparing means output and monitoring means output and a display control means for controlling the display device depending on touch panel means output and processing means output to allow the image corresponding to the control knob and amount of control of varying means to change following the depressing position when the surface of touch panel device corresponding to the position of control knob of the varying means is depressed with a higher pressure.
Moreover, the information processing apparatus of the present invention uses, as a touch panel device, a touch panel provided over the display device.
Moreover, the information processing apparatus of the present invention comprises a process selecting means which is structured by a memory storing program data for a plurality of processes and a CPU for controlling the execution of a plurality of processes.
Moreover, the present invention discloses a method of controlling display of an information processing apparatus comprising a display device for displaying images in relation to the predetermined process among a plurality of processes and a touch panel device for outputting both depressing position signal and depressing pressure signal to control display of the display device depending on output of the touch panel device, comprising comparing step for comparing a depressing pressure indicated by a depressing pressure signal with the reference pressure, monitoring step for judging change of depressing position by monitoring the depressing position signal, luminance processing step for controlling luminance of image in relation to the predetermined process displayed on the display device depending on the touch panel device output, comparing step result and monitoring step result to increase the luminance of images corresponding to the depressing position when the touch panel device is depressed with a weak pressure.
Furthermore, the present invention discloses a method of controlling the display of an information processing apparatus comprising a display device for displaying images in relation to the predetermined process among a plurality of processes and a touch panel device for outputting both depressing position signal and depressing pressure signal to control the display of the display device depending on output of the touch panel device, comprising comparing step for comparing a depressing pressure indicated by a depressing pressure signal with the reference pressure, monitoring step for judging change of depressing position by monitoring a depressing position signal and a varying means control processing step for processing the control of varying means having a control knob displayed on the display device depending on the touch panel device output, comparing step result and monitoring step result to allow both image corresponding to the control knob and amount of control of varying means to change following the depressing position when the surface of touch panel device corresponding to the image position of the control knob of varying means is depressed with a higher pressure.